Russian Revolution of 1917

Causes of the Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution was one of the most important events in modern world history. Its impact was evident in both Europe and United States|America. Although the revolution did not directly spread communism, it did give various other struggling third world countries an enticing example to follow. Decades later, the philosophy/governmental model would gain new notoriety as Russia, a full communist state at the time of the Cold War, squared off with the United States. In any case, 1917 saw two distinct Revolutions in Russia: the overthrow of the czarist regime (February Revolution) and the coup by which the Bolsheviks took power (October Revolution). The causes of these two revolutions encompass Russia’s political, social, and economic situation. Politically, the people of Russia resented the autocracy of Czar Nicholas II. The losses that the Russians suffered during World War I further weakened Russia’s view of Nicholas. Socially, czar Russia stood well behind the rest of Europe in its industry and farming, resulting in few opportunities for fair advancement on the part of peasants and industrial workers. Economically, widespread inflation and famine in Russia contributed to the revolution. Ultimately, a combination of these three, coupled with the development of revolutionary ideas and movements (particularly since the 1905 Bloody Sunday (1905)|Bloody Sunday Massacre) led to the Russian Revolution.

Economic

The economic causes of the Russian Revolution largely originated in Russia's outdated economy and the Czar's failure to modernise it. Russia's agrictural economy still resembled that of medieval Europe, with peasants bound to an inefficiently-managed village commune, and using outdated farming methods. Suffering from a naturally cold climate, Russia's growing season was only 4-6 months, compared to 8-9 in Western Europe, and so the rural agrarian economy struggled to produce enough food to feed the cities each year. Further hampering food production was Russia's lack of modern infrastructure or transport. Despite vast expansions under Sergei Witte to the railway system, Russia still lacked the ability to effectively transport food to the cities. During WW1, this became a massive problem as haphazard conscription removed skilled workers from the railways and food-related industries, effectively aggravating poor harvests and causing famine. Factory workers also suffered due to Russia's young industry that sought to catch up with the rest of Europe. They had to endure terrible working conditions, including twelve to fourteen hour days and low wages. Riots and strikes for better conditions and higher wages broke out. Although some factories agreed to the requests for higher wages, wartime inflation nullified the increase. There was one protest to which Nicholas responded with violence (see Causes: Political); in response, industrial workers went on strike and effectively paralyzed the railway and transportation networks. What few supplies were available could not be effectively transported. As goods became more and more scarce, prices skyrocketed. By 1917, famine threatened many of the larger cities. Nicholas's failure to solve his country's economic suffering and communism's promise to do just that comprised the core of the Revolution.

Social

The social causes of the Russian Revolution mainly stemmed from centuries of oppression towards the lower classes by the Czarist regime and Nicholas's failures in World War I. While rural agrarian peasants had been Emancipation of the serfs|emancipated from serfdom in 1861, they still resented paying dues to noble landowners, and demanded self-ownership of the land they worked. Increasing peasant disturbances and sometimes full revolts occurred, with the goal of securing ownership of their land. The rapid industrialisation of Russia also resulted in urban overcrowding and poor conditions for urban industrial workers (as mentioned above). Between 1890 and 1910, the population of the capital of St Petersburg swelled from 1,033,600 to 1,905,600, with Moscow experiencing similar growth. In one 1904 survey, it was found that an average of sixteen people shared each apartment in St Petersburg, with six people per room. World War I only added to the chaos. Conscription swept up the unwilling in all parts of Russia. The vast demand for factory production of war supplies and workers caused many more labor riots and strikes. Conscription stripped skilled workers from the cities, who had to be replaced with unskilled peasants, and then, when famine began to hit, workers abandoned the cities in droves to look for food. Finally, the soldiers themselves, who suffered from a lack of equipment and protection from the elements were discontent with Russia's poor accounting in the war.

Political

Politically, most areas of Russian society had reason to be dissatisfied with the existing autocratic system. They had no representation in government, and the Czar remained out of touch with the people's problems. Dissatisfaction with Russian autocracy culminated in the Bloody Sunday (1905)|Bloody Sunday massacre, in which Russian workers saw their pleas for justice rejected as protestors were shot by the Czar's troops. The response to the massacre crippled the nation with strikes, and Nicholas released his October Manifesto, promising a democratic parliament (the Duma#State Duma in Imperial Russia|State Duma) to appease the people. However, the Czar effectively nullified his promises of Democracy with the 1906 Russian Constitution of 1906|Fundamental State Laws, and then subsequently dismissed the first two Dumas when they proved uncooperative. These unfulfilled hopes of democracy fuelled revolutionary ideas and violence targeted at the Czarist regime.

World War 1

Russia's recent history catalogued successive military failures. Even before the outbreak of WW1, Russia had engaged in Russo-Japanese War|war with Japan in 1904-05, to great expense and no gain. While the Russian army enjoyed some initial successes against Austria-Hungary in 1914, Russia's lackings - particularly regarding the equipment of its soldiers and the sophistication of its weapons - became increasingly evident. In 1915, things took a critical turn for the worse when Nicholas decided to take direct command of the army, personally overseeing Russia's main warfront and leaving his incapable wife Alexandra in charge of the government. By the end of October 1916, Russia had lost between 1.6 and 1.8 million soldiers, with an additional two million prisoners of war and one million missing, which likely did little for the army's morale. Mutinies began to occur, and in 1916 reports of fraternizing with the enemy started to circulate. Soldiers went hungry and lacked shoes, munitions, and even weapons. Rampant discontent lowered morale, only to be further undermined by a series of military defeats. Nicholas was blamed, and what little support he had left began to crumble. As this discontent and utter hate of Nicholas grew, the State Duma issued a warning to Nicholas in November 1916 stating that disaster would overtake the country unless a constitutional form of government was put in place. In typical fashion, Nicholas ignored them. As a result, Russia's Czarist regime collapsed a few months later during the February Revolution of 1917. A year later, the Czar and his family were executed. Ultimately, Nicholas's inept handling of his country and the War destroyed the Czarist regime and cost him both his rule and his life.

February Revolution

''Main article: February Revolution.'' The February Revolution came about almost spontaneously when people of Petrograd protested against the czarist regime because of food shortages in the city and because of how far behind Russia was compared to other countries in Europe on farming and industry. There was also great widespread popular dissatisfaction with Russia's continued involvement in the World War I|First World War. As the protests grew, various political reformists (both liberal and radical left) started to coordinate some activity. In early February the protests turned violent as large numbers of city residents rioted and clashed with police and soldiers. When the bulk of the soldiers garrisoned in the Russian capital Petrograd joined the protests, they turned into a revolution ultimately leading to the abdication of Czar Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II in a nearly bloodless transition of power. A new Russian Provisional Government, 1917|Provisional Government was formed, also called the Duma, while elections were being planned. Between February and October revolutionists attempted to foment further change, working through the Petrograd Soviet or more directly. In July, the Petrograd Bolsheviks, in combination with the Petrograd anarchists, fomented a civil war. This revolt failed.

October Revolution

''Main article: October Revolution.'' The October Revolution was led by Vladimir Lenin and was based upon the ideas of Karl Marx. It marked the beginning of the spread of communism in the twentieth century. It was far less sporadic than the revolution of February and came about as the result of deliberate planning and coordinated activity to that end. The financial and logistical assistance of German intelligence via their key agent, Israel Helphand|Alexander Parvus was a key component as well. On November 7, 1917, Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin led his leftist revolutionaries in a nearly bloodless revolt against the ineffective Provisional Government (Russia was still using the Julian Calendar at the time, so period references show an October 25 date). The October Revolution ended the phase of the revolution instigated in February, replacing Russia's short-lived provisional government with a soviet (council)|Soviet one. Although many bolsheviks (such as Leon Trotsky) supported a soviet democracy, the 'reform from above' model gained definitive power when Lenin died and Stalin gained control of the USSR. Trotsky and his supporters, as well as a number of other democratically-minded communists, were persecuted and eventually imprisoned or killed. After October 1917, many SR's (members of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party) and Russian Anarchists opposed the Bolsheviks through the soviets. When this failed, they revolted in a series of events calling for "a third revolution." The most notable instances were the Tambov rebellion, 1919 - 1921, and the Kronstadt rebellion in March 1921. These movements, which made a wide range of demands and lacked effective coordination, were eventually crushed during the Russian Civil War|Civil War.

Civil war

''Main article: Russian Civil War.'' The Russian Civil War, which broke out in 1918 shortly after the revolution, brought death and suffering to millions of people regardless of their political orientation. The war was fought mainly between the "Reds", the communists and revolutionaries, and the White movement|"Whites" - the monarchists, conservatives, liberals and moderate socialists who opposed the Bolshevik Revolution. The Whites had backing from nations such as the UK,France,USA and Japan. Also during the Civil War, Nestor Makhno led a Ukrainian anarchist movement which generally cooperated with the Bolsheviks. However, a Bolshevik force under Mikhail Frunze destroyed the Makhnovist movement, when the Makhnovists refused to merge into the Red Army. In addition, the so-called "Green Army" (nationalists and anarchists) played a secondary role in the war, mainly in Ukraine.

The Russian revolution and the world

There are some who say that the Russian revolution was intended to spread across the world. Lenin and Trotsky said that the goal of socialism in Russia would not be realized without the success of the world proletariat in other countries, e.g. without German Revolution. However, till this day, this issue is subject to conflicting views on the communist history by various Marxist groups and parties. Some state that it was Stalin who was the first to later reject this idea, stating that Socialism in one country|socialism was possible in one country. Others counter that this was simply an excuse for Stalin and his followers to push back democratic gains won during the revolution and consolidate his bureaucratic dictatorship. The confusion regarding Stalin's position on the issue stems from the fact that he, after Lenin's death in 1924, successfully used Lenin's argument - the argument that socialism's success needs the workers of other countries in order to happen - to defeat his competitors within the party by accusing them of betraying Lenin and, therefore, the ideals of the October Revolution. He also had many of them executed during the great purge.

Brief chronology leading to Revolution of 1917

''Dates are correct for the Julian calendar, which was used in Russia until 1918. It was twelve days behind the Gregorian calendar during the 19th century and thirteen days behind it during the 20th century.''

1855 - Start of reign of Alexander II of Russia|Czar Alexander II

1861 - Emancipation of the serfs

1866-1874|74 - The White Terror

1881 - Alexander II assassinated; succeeded by Russian Czar Alexander III|Alexander III

1883 - First Russian Marxism|Marxist group formed

1894 - Start of reign of Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II

1898 - First Congress of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP)

1900 - Foundation of Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR)

1903 - Second Congress of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. Beginning of split between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.

1904-1905|5 - Russo-Japanese War; Russia loses war

1905 - Russian Revolution of 1905. :January - Bloody Sunday 1905|Bloody Sunday in Saint Petersburg|St. Petersburg. :June - Battleship Potemkin uprising at Odessa on the Black Sea (see movie ''The Battleship Potemkin'') :October - general strike, St. Petersburg Soviet formed :: - October Manifesto - Imperial agreement on elections to the State Duma

1906 - First State Duma. Prime Minister - Petr Stolypin. Agrarian reforms begin

1907 - Second State Duma, February - June

1907 - Third State Duma, until 1912

1911 - Stolypin assassinated

1912 - Fourth State Duma, until 1917. Bolshevik - Menshevik split final

1914 - Germany declares war on Russia

1915 - Serious defeats, Nicholas II declares himself Commander in Chief. Progressive Bloc formed.

1916 - Food and fuel shortages and high prices

1917 - Strikes and riots; troops summoned to Petrograd

Expanded chronology of Revolution of 1917

, leader of the October Bolshevik Revolution]] '''January''' :Strikes and unrest in Petrograd '''February''' : February Revolution :26th – 50 demonstrators killed in Znamenskaya Square :27th – Troops refuse to fire on demonstrators, desertions. Prison, courts, and police stations attacked and looted by angry crowds. ::Okhranka buildings set on fire. Garrison joins revolutionaries. ::Petrograd Soviet formed. '''March''' :1st – Order No.1 of the Petrograd Soviet :2nd – Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II abdicates. Russian Provisional Government, 1917|Provisional Government formed under Prime Minister Prince Georgy Yevgenyevich Lvov|Prince Lvov '''April''' :3rd – Return of Lenin to Russia. He publishes his Lenin's April Theses|April Theses. :20th – Pavel Miliukov|Miliukov's note published. Provisional Government falls. '''May''' :5th – New Provisional Government formed. Kerensky made minister of war and navy '''June''' :3rd – First All-Russian Congress of Soviets in Petrograd. Closed on 24th. :16th – Kerensky orders offensive against Austro-Hungarian forces. Initial success. '''July''' :2nd – Russian offensive ends. Leon Trotsky|Trotsky joins Bolsheviks. :4th-7th – The "July Days"; anti-government demonstrations in Petrograd. :6th – German and Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian counter-attack. Russians retreat in panic, sacking the town of Tarnopol. Arrest of Bolshevik leaders ordered. :7th – Lvov resigns. Kerensky is new PM :22nd – Trotsky and Lunacharskii arrested '''August''' :26th – Second coalition government ends :27th – Right-wing General Lavr Kornilov is alleged by Kerensky to have attempted a coup. Kornilov arrested and imprisoned. '''September''' :1st – Russia declared a republic :4th – Trotsky and others freed. Trotsky becomes head of Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. :25th – Third coalition government formed '''October''' :10th – Bolshevik Central Committee meeting approves armed uprising :11th – Congress of Soviets of the Northern Region, until 13th :20th – First meeting of the Military Revolutionary Committee (Revolutionary Soviet Committee) of the Petrograd Soviet :25th – October Revolution is launched as MRC directs armed workers and soldiers to capture key buildings in Petrograd. Winter Palace attacked at 9.40pm and captured at 2am. Kerensky flees Petrograd. Opening of the 2nd All-Russian Congress of Soviets. :26th – Second Congress of Soviets: Mensheviks and right SR delegates walk out in protest against the previous day's events. Decree on Peace and Decree on Land. Soviet government declared - the Council of People's Commissars (Bolshevik dominated with Lenin as chairman).

Bibliography

Participants' accounts

John Reed (journalist)|Reed, John. '''http://www.marxists.org/archive/reed/1919/10days/10days/index.htm''. 1919, 1st Edition, published by BONI & Liveright, Inc. for International Publishers. Transcribed and marked by David Walters for http://www.marxists.org/archive/reed/works/index.htm Penguin Books; 1st edition. June 1, 1980. ISBN 0140182934. Retrieved May 14, 2005.

Victor Serge|Serge, Victor. http://www.marxists.org/archive/serge/1930/year-one/index.htm L'An l de la revolution russe, 1930. Year One of the Russian Revolution, Holt, Reinhart, and Winston. Translation, editor's Introduction, and notes © 1972 by Peter Sedgwick. Reprinted on Victor Serge Internet Archive by permission. ISBN 0863161502. Retrieved May 14, 2005.

Leon Trotsky|Trotsky, Leon. http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1930-hrr/index.htm Translated by Max Eastman, 1932. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 8083994. ISBN 0913460834. Transcribed for the World Wide Web by John Gowland (Australia), Alphanos Pangas (Greece) and David Walters (United States). Pathfinder Press edition. June 1, 1980. ISBN 0873488296. Retrieved May 14, 2005.

Reference

Malone, Richard. '''Analysing the Russian Revolution''', : ISBN 0521541417, Melbourne, Cambridge University Press; 1st edition, 2004

Figes, Orlando. '''A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1924''', : ISBN 014024364X (trade paperback) ISBN 0670859168 (hardcover)

Fitzpatrick, Sheila. '''The Russian Revolution'''. 199 pages. Oxford University Press; 2nd Reissu edition. December 1, 2001. ISBN 0192802046.

Lincoln, W. Bruce. " Red Victory: A History of the Russian Civil War 1918 to 1921. ISBN 0-306-80909-5 New York, Simon and Schuster, 1989. Chapter 5 pp163-193.

External links

http://www.ditext.com/yarmolinsky/yarframe.html

http://www.marxists.org/history/ussr/index.htm

http://libcom.org/library/russian-revolution

http://www.marxists.org/archive/serge/1930/year-one/index.htmfrom the Victor Serge Internet Archive on http://www.marxists.org Translation, editor's Introduction, and notes © 1972 by Peter Sedgwick. Retrieved April 5, 2005.

http://vcehistory.info/ on-line material for the http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/index.html(Australia)

http://russian-history-blog.blogspot.com

In Cinema

'''Arsenal''' aka '''Арсенал''' aka '''January Uprising in Kiev in 1918''' http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019649/ Written and Directed by Aleksandr Dovzhenko. Runtime: USA:70 min. Soviet Union / Ukraine. Language: Russian / Ukrainian. Black and White. Silent. 1928.

'''Konets Sankt-Peterburga''' aka '''The End of St. Petersburg''' http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018066/ Directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin and Mikhail Doller (co-director). Written by Nathan Zarkhi. 80 min. Soviet Union. Black and White. Silent. 1927. Russian. Rural youth caught up in 1917 revolution.

'''Lenin v 1918 godu''' aka '''Lenin in 1918''' http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031564/ Directed by Mikhail Romm and E. Aron (co-director). Runtime: USA:130 min. 1939.

'''Oktyabr''' aka '''October''' aka '''Ten Days that Shook the World''' (USA) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018217/ Directed by Sergei M. Eisenstein and Grigori Aleksandrov. Runtimes: Sweden:104 min, USA:95 min. Country: Soviet Union. Black and White. Silent. 1927.

'''Reds''' http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082979/ Directed by Warren Beatty. Based on the book '''Ten Days that Shook the World'''. Runtime: 194 min. Country: USA. Language: English / Russian / German. Color (Technicolor). Stereo. 1981.

'''Anastasia''' http://imdb.com/title/tt0118617/ Directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. Based on Anastasia. Runtime: 94 min. Country: USA. Language: English / Russian / French. Color (Technicolor). Stereo. 1997.